2004 Lafleur
By Chateau Lafleur
2004 Lafleur from Chateau Lafleur, Pomerol, Bordeaux
A particularly challenging yet ultimately rewarding vintage, the 2004 Lafleur from Chateau Lafleur encapsulates Bordeaux's resilience and Chateau Lafleur's vintner artistry. This year was marked by capricious weather through the growing season that led to a restrained yield. Nonetheless, poised expertise coaxing the Merlot and Cabernet Franc has birthed a wine of austerity and promise.
Hymn to Harmony: A Complex Tapestry of Terroir and Time
The cooler conditions of 2004 led to a vintage less opulent than its predecessors, which adeptly placed the spotlight on Pomerol's unmistakeable terroir rather than sheer power. In doing so, the 2004 Lafleur matured into an elegant synthesis of delicate tensions, displaying an eloquent articulation of earthy minerality intertwined with hints of truffle and ripe plum.
A Vintage of Vigilance: The Investor's Chronicle
Fine wine investors seeking a pertinent addition to their portfolios should lend a keen eye toward the 2004 harvest from Chateau Lafleur. In the lineage of this esteemed estate's output, the temperance of this particular year has conveyed filtration through time unmolested by flamboyant fruit; instead proffering subtlety as its signature.
The 2004 Lafleur, now at a stage where it unfurls complexity within the glass, brings forth secondary characteristics such as leather and tobacco, interfused with fine tannin structure – suggesting further potential for evolution, thus making it an intelligent prospect for investment yielding both sensory and material rewards.
In summing up, the 2004 Lafleur from Chateau Lafleur stands as a testament to prowess in viticulture amidst adversity. With its balance between expressive terroir-driven persona and understated opulence, it affords a patient collector an experiential journey that is inversely elevated by the modesty of its vintage’s voice.
Market price (GBP)
£4,200.00
12x75cl
Highest score
95
POP score
280
Scores and tasting notes
Tasted at John Armit's Lafleur seminar in London, the 2004 remains an outstanding wine of the vintage. It is just beginning to show signs of maturation on the rim, whilst the Cabernet Franc component is beginning to exert itself on the nose, imparting a ferrous tincture. It is developing an almost Burgundy-like sense of purity. The palate has a sweet entry for a 2004 with that masculine exterior beginning to soften and reveal supple tannins enveloped in blackberry, orange peel and spice. Compared against the 2005 it unequivocally does not have nearly the same concentration, but it has a sense of hubris and charm that lifts it above its peers. Drink 2015-2025. Tasted April 2012.
Neal Martin - Wine Journal Jul 2012
Sadly, there are only 1,000 cases of the brilliant 2004 Lafleur (because of the strict selection implemented by proprietor Jacques Guinaudeau and his son, Baptiste). A blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Franc, the 2004 presently possesses a certain austerity, along with fabulous concentration, and intense kirsch liqueur, licorice, truffle, and spice characteristics. Stunningly proportioned, medium to full-bodied, and powerful, it comes across like a modern day version of Lafleur's brilliant 1979. The aromatics can fill a room, but the tannins kick in in the mouth. Give this Pomerol 5-8 years of cellaring, and drink it over the following 25+.
Robert Parker Jr - Wine Advocate #171 June 2007